


to have someone kiss the skin that crawls from you

by foo1ish



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Bathtubs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Porn with Feelings, soft smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foo1ish/pseuds/foo1ish
Summary: Josie has to deal with the memory of almost killing Hope.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 4
Kudos: 173





	to have someone kiss the skin that crawls from you

Josie does not remember what she did when all of her goodness was cowering in a corner of her mind. At least, not at first.

Her friends try to fill her in, but she can tell that every single sentence they say is extremely euphemized. It’s like they feel the need to protect her from herself but Josie wants to know.

Maybe she should be more careful of what she wishes for.

The memories come back gradually. At first, they’re all out of order, just flashes of images and voices, but then, they start to take shape. She feels the desire for the power that would come from merging with Lizzie and the lack of emotion behind killing Alyssa. Josie aches for at least one sliver of remorse or regret to resurface but this wish is left unanswered.

Josie knows she tried to merge with Lizzie. Josie knows she killed Alyssa. Josie does not know that she nearly killed Hope.

She had more time to process the other things, more time to think about them before the actual memories of doing them resurfaced, but her fight with Hope had only been mentioned in passing. Josie had very nearly killed the love of her life and the fact that Hope would have come back doesn’t make any difference.

Josie remembers the feeling of holding Hope aloft. She remembers the itch to send her plummeting down to be be pierced by the sharp point under her. She remembers the movement of her lips to say, “Any last words?”

When she remembers, she sits in shock for a few seconds before stumbling into Hope’s room and silently breaking down in her arms. Hope doesn’t ask her any questions, she just holds her until the sobs subside and all that is left are a few soft hiccups.

Hope stands up and for a second, Josie’s chest is flooded with the irrational fear that she is leaving her. It only disappears when she realizes that Hope is just getting her some water. Josie drinks it gratefully, relaxing into the feeling of the water soothing her raw throat.

“Want me to run you a bath?”

Josie wipes the tears from her face and notices how extremely _heavy_ crying had made her her feel. A bath is exactly what she needs.

She nods and curls into herself on Hope’s bed, breathing in the smell of her on the sheets. Her heart twists when she thinks of how that was probably exactly how Hope smelled when she was two seconds from death.

Josie hears the water start up and shuts her eyes tightly, trying to push the thought away. Hope doesn’t hate her. She had come to save her in her subconscious. She reminded her that she was strong. And when they came back from her subconscious, she had kissed her. Hope doesn’t hate her.

Josie feels soft hands coaxing her out of the foetal position.

“Come on,” Hope says, smiling softly at her. It isn’t really a smile of happiness, it’s more like one of understanding. Hope understands her. She gets what it means to be so ashamed of something that wasn’t even in your control.

Josie lets Hope lead her to the bathroom and then she undresses. As the clothes drop, she feels like the weight of some of her emotions drops with them.

She steps into the tub and slowly sinks down into it. She leans back and enjoys the feeling of warm water surrounding her.

Hope sits on the edge of the bathtub next to her. She dips a hand into the water and then brings it to Josie’s face, wiping away the saltiness of dried tears. Josie leans into the touch.

“Join me?”

Hope blinks as if she doesn’t quite understand but then nods. “Of course.” She makes quick work of removing her clothes and Josie moves forward, making space for her.

Hope settles in behind her, with Josie between her legs. Josie leans back against her, resting herself more to Hope’s right shoulder so her hair isn’t in Hope’s face. She relaxes onto her, loving the skin to skin contact of her back pressed flush against Hope’s front.

Hopes arms are resting on the edges of the tub and Josie takes them, pulling them down to wrap around her.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Josie almost shakes her head no, but this is Hope. She can tell her. She swallows thickly before trying to explain the turmoil taking place in her brain. “When the black magic took over, I almost killed you,” she squeezes her eyes shut to hold back a sob. “I could have killed you Hope,” Josie repeats, her voice breaking.

Hope’s response is immediate. “It’s okay Jo. it’s okay. That wasn’t you.”

Josie's heart stutters at the nickname like it always does, but there’s a voice that tells her she doesn’t deserve it. It tells her that she doesn’t deserve to hear her name in Hope’s voice, that she doesn’t deserve to hear it with so much affection, that she doesn’t deserve Hope.

Josie wants to disagree with Hope. She wants Hope to tell her the opposite, that she is a bad person, but she knows Hope is right so she let herself relax. Hope knows she is strong. Hope knows she is good.

She melts into the feeling of her body resting against Hope until she has trouble figuring out where she ends and where Hope begins. Hope arms are wrapped around her and she traces patterns all over her skin, from her stomach up to her clavicle.

When the water becomes lukewarm, Josie is reluctant to leave this bubble of comfort. Hopes fingers are trailing small circles on her abdomen and they stray a little to far down. Josie jumps slightly.

“Sorry,” Hope says, quickly bringing her hand back up.

“No,” Josie says. “Don’t be.” She turns slightly to look Hope in the eye, and guides her hand back down. Josie needs this.

Hope pauses. “Are you sure?” Josie understands her hesitance. She had just cried her eyes out.

Josie gives her an assuring look and whispers, “Please, ” urging Hope to start moving her hand.

And so, Hope gives her what she asks for. Josie can feel Hope trying to covey all the understanding and care she feels in the slow tight circles her fingers make on her clit, in the kisses she places on her shoulder, and in the murmured reassures that are so quiet that Josie can’t hear them over pleasure she feels between her legs.

Somehow, that pleasure isn’t enough. Josie wants more of Hope and almost as if she can read her mind, Hope complies. She leans forward, pushing Josie a little with her and reaches out to pulls out the plug.

She guides Josie back against her and continues to move her fingers as the water level slowly falls, leaving goosebumps in its wake. The air is cold on Josie’s wet skin, but it is nothing rival the warmth that being with Hope makes her feel.

In the absence of the water, Hope’s fingers can dip down and collect some wetness before moving back up. And _oh_ , that is so much better. Josie lets her head tip back onto Hope’s shoulder. She can feel Hope watching her so she looks up and there is so much tenderness in her eyes that Josie can almost feels tears burning at her own again.

Hope moves her other arm around her, entering her first with one finger, and then two, thrusting slowly while still maintaining the movements of her first hand. Josie looses herself in the feelings. She looses herself in every point of contact with Hope.

When Josie reaches orgasm, it doesn’t seem as sharp as usual, somehow softer around the edges but with the same intensity. She clenches around Hope’s fingers and her back arches, pressing her shoulders into Hope.

Hopes arms are there to hold her when she comes back down feeling so sated she could drift into deep dreamless sleep right there in the bath tub. She doesn’t though. She lets Hope wrap her in a towel and leaves the bathroom.

Hope pulls two pairs of the softest clothes she can find from her closet, and hands one to Josie. Josie sits on Hope’s bed, holding the clothes in her lap. She isn’t ready to put them on yet. She’s happy watching Hope slide the towel off her her body and admires her as she slips the clothes on.

“Hope?” Hope turns to her and smiles. “Thank you.”

Hope walks towards her and places a hand on the side of her face. She pulls her forward and kisses her long and slow. “You don’t have to thank me for anything Josie.”

She sits on the bed and then moves back adjusting herself on the pillow and then looking up to Josie expectantly. Josie put on the clothes, the smell of Hope enveloping her completely and lays down beside her. She buries her face in the crook of Hope’s neck and tangles their limbs together. They stay like that, curled around each other, letting the other’s breathing lull them to sleep.


End file.
